Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's population increased by about 3,600 between the last two censuses. This semi-automated article highlights some of the key changes among the local population.

The population reached nearly 140,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Middlesbrough increased by 2.6%, from just under 135,000 to 138,000.

The addition of just under 3,600 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Middlesbrough was home to, on average, 18 people per football pitch-sized piece of land. This made it the North East's most densely-populated unitary authority.

Population density was higher than the average across the North East

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the North East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Middlesbrough

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Middlesbrough increased by one year, from 36 to 37 years.

This area had the second-lowest average age in the North East and remained slightly younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just over 4,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 3,000.

About 16.0% of people in Middlesbrough are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Middlesbrough by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough saw the North East's second-largest fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability.

In 2011, just over 1 in 19 (5.4%) in Middlesbrough reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 6.3% in 2001. The percentage who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 4.6% to 4.8%.

Across the region, only Newcastle upon Tyne saw a greater fall in the proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability (from 6.3% to 5.4%).

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across the North East

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Middlesbrough

The 2011 Census asked a voluntary question about religion. Of those who chose to disclose their religious affiliation, the largest percentage point increase in Middlesbrough was among those who said they had no religion, rising 12.7 points.

In 2011, 23.7% of respondents in Middlesbrough gave this answer to the question on religion, compared with 11.0% of those who answered in 2001.

Across the North East, the percentage of people who answered the question on religion that described themselves as having no religion increased from 11.8% to 24.9%, while across England the percentage went from 15.7% to 26.5%.

Of those who disclosed their religion in Middlesbrough, 67.4% said they were Christian, compared with 83.5% in 2001. About 7.5% said they were Muslim, compared with 4.6% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who disclosed a religious affiliation and said they were Sikh increased from 0.4% to 0.4%.

In Middlesbrough, 6.2% chose not to answer the question on religious affiliation, compared with 8.0% in 2001. In North East, 6.1% did not answer the voluntary question, compared with 7.7% in 2001. Across England, 7.2% of people did not answer, compared with 7.7% in 2001.

The population without a religion in Middlesbrough increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents who answered the voluntary question on religion in England, North East and Middlesbrough by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Middlesbrough that rented privately increased from 7.9% to 16.6% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in four (23.9%) households lived in social housing, compared with 28.0% in 2001. The percentage of Middlesbrough households that owned their home decreased from 61.0% to 57.2%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased faster here than the figure for the whole of the North East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 13.7% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 16.9%.

Private renting in Middlesbrough increased by 8.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Middlesbrough, the North East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough saw the North East's second-largest rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership.

In 2011, just under 4 in 10 (39.4%) people aged 16 and over in Middlesbrough said they were single, compared with 33.2% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 46.8% to 41.6%.

Across the region, only Newcastle upon Tyne saw a greater rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership (from 38.1% to 46.5%).

Every local authority area across the North East saw a rise in the proportion of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership, as the regional average grew from 29.0% to 34.4%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was higher than across the North East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were single across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Middlesbrough residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11.7% to 7.6% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (78.1%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 65.2% in 2001. The percentage of Middlesbrough residents that described their health as fair decreased from 23.1% to 14.2%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the North East. As a result, Middlesbrough became more healthy than the national average 5.5% in England described their health as good in 2011).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Middlesbrough decreased by 4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Middlesbrough, the North East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Middlesbrough

In 2011, 7.8% of Middlesbrough residents said they were from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups, up from from 4.8% in 2001.

Across the North East, the percentage of people from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from 1.6% to 2.9%, while across England the percentage went from 5.2% to 8.0%.

Around 88.2% of people in Middlesbrough said they were from one of the White ethnic groups, compared with 93.7% in 2001. About 1.7% said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), compared with 0.9% 10 years prior.

The percentage of people who said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from 0.4% to 1.3%.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Middlesbrough increased by 3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Middlesbrough by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

More students

Middlesbrough saw the North East's second-largest rise in the proportion of students.

In 2011, just over 1 in 25 (4.4%) people aged 16 to 74 in Middlesbrough said they were in education, compared with 3.0% in 2001. The percentage that were employed increased from 45.0% to 46.1%.

Across the region, only Newcastle upon Tyne saw a greater rise in the proportion of students (from 3.8% to 6.8%).

Every local authority area across the North East saw a rise in the proportion of students, as the regional average grew from 2.3% to 3.3%.

The percentage of students in Middlesbrough increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Middlesbrough, the North East and England that said they were in education, March 2001 and March 2011

More people worked short hours

The percentage of employed people in Middlesbrough working less than 16 hours increased from 2.1% to 3.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just under 1 in 13 (7.7%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 9.6% in 2001.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North East (from 1.6% in 2001 to 2.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 1.9% to 3.1%.

The proportion of people working less than 16 hours in a week in Middlesbrough increased by 1.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Middlesbrough, the North East and England that said they had worked less than 16 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Changes in family structure

Middlesbrough saw the North East's largest rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just over one in nine (11.3%) households in Middlesbrough had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 10.4% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 33.3% to 31.2%.

Across the region, South Tyneside saw the next largest increase in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (which remained close to 11.9%).

During this period, Middlesbrough overtook four local authority areas, including Redcar and Cleveland and Gateshead, to become the North East local authority area with the third-highest percentage of households with only adult children living with their parents.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was higher than across the North East

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in the North East and the average across England, March 2011

Change in unpaid care provision

The percentage of Middlesbrough residents that provided at least 50 hours of weekly unpaid care remained close to 3.1% between the last two censuses.

The percentage who reported providing between 20 and 49 hours of unpaid care each week remained close to 1.5%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the North East (from 2.8% in 2001 to 3.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 2.1% to 2.4%.

The proportion of people providing 50 hours, or more, of weekly unpaid care in Middlesbrough remained close to 3.1%

Percentage of usual residents in England, North East and Middlesbrough by care, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

Middlesbrough saw the North East's third-largest rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple.

In 2011, just under 1 in 10 (9.8%) households in Middlesbrough had an unmarried couple, compared with 7.4% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising just one person remained close to 31.0%.

Across the region, only Gateshead (from 7.6% to 10.9%) and Stockton-on-Tees (from 7.7% to 11.0%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple.

Every local authority area across the North East saw a rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple, as the regional average grew from 7.8% to 10.0%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Middlesbrough increased by 2.5 percentage points

Percentage of households in Middlesbrough, the North East and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

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